One of my main gripes with DW when it was released was the lack of soft data on the sociology of Deathwatch Astartes. This problem still persists but on the other hand it also brings creative freedom with it.

One thing that seperates DW from common Special Forces RPGs is that the Astartes are Space Paladins steeped in millenia old traditions and rituals and we have the freedom to make up some of them on our own since FFG hasn't delivered (yet). Now we know a bit about the indiction into the DW (with painting the armour black and all) as that was described a bit in the rulebook. What we don't know about is the rituals of laying down your guns, saying farewell and the reception at home.

Now what I imagine is that you can't just remove only the outer black paint layer. The way I imagine it is that the marine's armour is getting stripped to its core (except for the chapter symbols and honours and campaign markings, etc.) and then polished. That might make the marine look a bit like Grey Knight though while he gets transferred home (where he would await his armour getting painted a new?). Still that could represent purity and leaving the life as a Deathwatch marine behind. Or of course he could get some appropriate (chapter dependent) primer sprayed on. Or he could get directly a new painting but that would be boring imho.

Any ideas for rituals and traditions surrounding the relief from Vigil?

Alex

This gave me an idea for a end of campaign, campaign. The players have been a kill team for years, at the end of their service to the watch, heroes and champions one and all. It starts with a ritual like the one you describes and all the characters have to tell a story of their exploits and or failures to their once brothers. Once done they all board the same ship. All of them ready, waiting to go home, but sad that they will probably never see the comrades that they went through so much with again. Thats when the ship gets lost in the warp and **** happens.

The biggest problem is that the reception at home is probably radically different for each chapter. Some might send the returning marine into isolation until the Chaplains and Apothecaries can look them over and clear them of taint. Other chapters might require cleansing and purifying rituals or some sort of penance for being away form the chapter so long.

I can't really see any Chapter requiring penance for being away. Serving in the Deathwatch requires the approval of the Chapter in the first place, and most Chapters see it as a benefit. You send out a Marine that shows promise, you get back a hardened Xenos-killer. While the Marine can't talk about his missions, he can still help train his Battle-Brothers to better combat their enemies.

As far as taint, the Deathwatch don't really pick up any more corruption than they would in service to their Chapter. It's not like the mission of the Deathwatch is "here, go stick your face in the Eye of Terror for a while and see what happens." Combating xenos theoretically provides less corruption than fighting Chaos, after all.

Andrew Tatro said:

Depending on how isolationist the chapter is, the act of spending years away from your own might be viewed as a form of taint or corruption. Being exposed to non-traditional ideas, non-traditional combat training, interacting with blasphemous Psykers claiming they are Astartes, all could lead to a cold homecoming.

I could see many chapters viewing the returned brother as questionable until proven otherwise, no matter how much that brother may help or enhance the chapter.

Whereas I think with the Crimson Fists, there'd be a parade by the Rynnsguard. Yes, traditions will be very different. However that didn't stop FFG from putting some paragraphs about induction into the rulebook. But mustering out is also interesting, especially since a player of mine is going to retire his PC.

Alex

ItsUncertainWho said:

I can't possibly see any Chapter that's as isolationist as all that even allowing the Marine to serve in the Deathwatch in the first place.

It is pretty grimdark to get home and the first thing they do is hose you down with freezing water, flog the skin from your back with razor wire lashes and perfom a precationary exorcism in case you have picked something up on your travels.

Andrew Tatro said:

It's said in some fluff that once a Techmarine returns from the AdMech, they're welcomed back but kept at arms length. In some chapters I could absolutely see things this way with returning Deathwatch Brothers. Black Templars for one. I wouldn't expect an exorcism in any way, as I would expect the Chapter to trust the Deathwatch to not return a posessed marine to them. There might be some reindoctrination in some cases though, but I expect that would happen only if the Brother in question started 'acting out.'

That said, because it is generally considered to be an honor to serve in the DW, I would expect some ceremonies around the brother returning home. Something involving the same folks that sent him off in the first place at the least. A ceremonial repainting of his armor, and blessings from the chaplain- though I'm split on that- would the Brother repaint their armor once they returned or before they departed?

I would not expect the Marine to re-tell any of his stories and recount any of his missions as that's against the oath the Marines swear on entry into the Watch, however I would expect to see an extended debrif to extract any information that the Brother could share- new tactics discovered, new weapons, new threats (if it is something that could be talked about), etc.

I would assume that Astartes and their gear will have to go through decontamination as a standard procedure, just as with any planetside team of a Rogue Trader. Also Astartes are not above to corruption and so regular investigation for taint will be common. I know my librarian checks his battle-brothers regular for posession or warp-taint.

As for chapters, I am sure DA Interrogator-Chaplains will do some routine investigation on home-comers. Let's not forget that some chapters only send in the clowns because they have made a vow in the past, not because they like to do so.

But this thread was firstly aimed at ceremonies that might take place at Erioch and/or in transit. Although home-coming rituals are equally interesting they come time-wise after those.

Alex

I'm thinking more and more the armor paint would be done at Erioch, as a symbol of departure, of the separation. Perhaps there would be a place you'd have a recounting of the tales- to both recognize the accomplishments of the Brother in question as well as to create a bit of an oral record, as UncleArkie suggests. I'd imagine some sort of feast of sorts, to give the Brothers time to say farewell to their companions.

Doubtless there is a going away ritual, where the Brother's original left pauldron & vambrace are restored to his armour, but I can't really see the rest of the armour being repainted at this point - that's Chapter business, and the Deathwatch wouldn't interfere. The Brother would return home, wearing his black armour as a badge of honour (it's mentioned that some Marines continue to wear the black even after returning 'home'). Having your armour's surface stripped of it's paint and then sent home seems more a sign of disgrace.

Since the odds against any sort of Class Reunion are pretty much nil, I'd think there's a substantial, ritualised leave taking between the members of the Kill Team, that - having served as Brothers - are now breaking apart with no expectation of ever seeing each other again, or even being in communication.

Plasmafest said:

Returned to him, perhaps, but I recall that Deathwatch Veterans (those who have served their Vigil and returned) are permitted to keep the Pauldron and Vambrace and continue to wear them as a symbol of their service.

ItsUncertainWho said:

I don't remember the name, but I feel like I'm watching the movie about the guy who trained Bruce Lee, Ipp Man. When he tried to incorporate something new, a high kick, his traditionalist brother beat his ass, and kicked him out, more or less. Granted, I doubt that the Space Marines are so traditionalist, or, as said, they wouldn't send their warriors to the Watch. As for forgetting who they were, I'd say that the training to become a Ultramarine should be thorough enough that it sticks, and there will be plenty of other Ultramarines at the Watch, to converse with, and remember being one.

Charmander said:

Yeah, I was going to reference the Techmarines, too. In a similar way, I could imagine the Chapter looking at their brother, back after his long sojourn, ready to serve his Chapter, and with new skills they could not otherwise obtain, but still looking at him with some suspicion, because even Space Marines are still untrusting tools, sometimes. Still, I expect that they do their best to accept him, and if he seems a bit off, but not truly "tainted", then maybe they arrange to just send him back, again, and let him keep fighting the good fight with the Watch.

I personally subscribe to the thought that the armor is redone at Erioch. When the Marine's term is up, if they aren't staying on (I know some do, and if I was playing a Techmarine, it might be nice to flip my Chapter the bird, that way), the Techmarines ritually paint strip the armor, and sanctify it in the ways of the parent Chapter. They leave what they were with the Deathwatch with the Watch, and go out a Space Marine of their Chapter, with a nice, polished suit of their normal, embellished with a few extra bits; their holdovers of being with the Watch. Then, they return home, still/once again a marine of that Chapter, to whatever welcome/celebration they are due, and enjoy a day. After that, there would be a debriefing process, where the Chapter's Apothecary, Librarian, Techmarine, Chaplain, and Commander give them a once over, to make sure all is as it should be (seems standard procedure for anytime a Marine has been gone for a while, in dangerous circumstances.) He tells them what he is allowed, they understand the things he can't, they probe him in their various ways, and when he has a clean bill of health, he returns to whatever function he served in the Chapter, with some extra stuff in his repertoire, to pass on to his Battle-Brothers. I think some people might overestimate how clannish the Space Marines can afford to be . If every Marine they sent off to get some "ecclectic training" came back to be a Space Marine in name, but not in acceptance, then the very band of brothers mentality that they require to function would fall apart. Part of why a 10-man squad of Marines can do what they do is because everyone of them trusts their life to every other one of them. A second guess is a second of weakness, and the enemies of Mankind target those with prejudice. I know that there is fluff where the Techmarine comes back, and everyone looks at him with a bit of trepidation, and they don't invite him to the same strategy sessions, all the time, and Black Templars hate psykers, so they might question one who has tolerated them for any stretch, but when it all come down to it, it's you and these other few guys against a swarm of Nids you cannot annihilate, or group of Tau you cannot find, and you better learn to like that guy, because his life is in your hands, the same as his is in yours'.

Will the Watch Captain be present when a marine leaves? How about the Watch-Commander? Will a mass be held?

Alex

I would certainly think the Captain would be there. As for the Commander, I imagine it would depend- is it one brother or a group of brothers leaving? How often does this take place? How honorably did the departing Marine serve? The Commander is pretty busy, but it is kind of a big deal. I would think that if it's either a rare event, or a regularly scheduled event where groups are discharged he'd preside over it. Or at least make special appearances from time to time.

I would think almost certainly something would be done by the Chaplain, too, some kind of mass or 'religious' ceremony.

I liken the ending of a vigil to similar to a soldier ending a tour of duty but more ritualized. As charmander and Alex have put, a marine would be honoured for his achievments in service to the deathwatch. I imagine the rite to be somewhat like this, and both the DW chaplain and watch captain would be present.

A chaplain would be preside over the rite. What I imagine is that the watch captain would have requested the marine to send his armour to the armoury.

The DW techmarines would remove all Deathwatch insignia and the restore the armour to the colours and livery of the marine's originating chapter.
Servitors would assist the marine in donning the armour painted in his original colours with the proper litanies for donning power armour just before the ceremony.

The chaplain commences the rites and invites the captain to honour the achievements of the marine. The DW scribes then pens the contributions by the marine to be added to the records of the DW.

The chaplain then presents the laurels and blesses the marine before the concluding the ritual marking the fulfilment of the marine's oath of vigil. The marine will then return to his chapter.

He will then be examined by the chapter chaplains for any deviation from the chapter's teaching which the marine may have picked up at the DW, indoctrination will be done if required. After which the battle brother rejoins the chapter and shares his experience on Xenos slaying with his brothers.

Apologies, double post.

In the Black library novel Warrior coven a Blood Angel is recalled for service. He had kept his black armor though he now was with his brothers. They explained that it never ends in the Deathwatch, but one must always be prepared if ordo xenos needs you

Ezekil said:

By comparison, Captain Uriel Ventris of the Ultramarines 4th Company served in the Deathwatch in the past, yet wore his Chapter and Company heraldry until he briefly rejoined the Deathwatch during the battle for Tarsis Ultra (in the novel Warriors of Ultramar ).

N0-1_H3r3 said:

One of the characters in Rynn's World wore the normal chapter colors but wore the Deathwatch pauldron instead of the Chapter pauldron.

I think the big problem was that until the Deathwatch RPG came out there was very little specific info on the Deathwatch organization. This lead to a good bit of randomness from the writers.

ItsUncertainWho said:

Which personally I think is fine. It gives you two basic options:

1. Pick which one you like best and use it, as the authors of the novels did (which doesn't mean you have to take one that's been written in a novel mind you, just one you like)
2. Let them all be correct, and leave it up to the individual Marine or the Chapter to which he is a member to decide.

My personal theories on how this would go down is actually evolving with the comments on this thread, which is actually a lot of fun.

When Deathwatch veterans could be taken as unit upgrades to Space Marine squads, they were represented by standard marines from the Chapter with a Deathwatch shoulder pad. So they had both their Chapter's colours, but also Deathwatch heraldry. Sort of the inverse of a Deathwatch marine, having a Chapter pad, and Deathwatch colours.

bluntpencil2001 said:

I remember this as well. The Marine kept the Deathwatch pauldron as a badge of honor, as well as having a steady supply of Deathwatch bolter ammo made available to him.